Vehicle Registrations Hit 1.96 crores in 2015; Is Public Transport the Solution?

Ever wondered how many vehicles were registered last year? 1.96 crores! Yes, that my friend is a huge number. Want to guess where the number stood in the early 90s? Less than 10 lakhs a year. The rising income capacity of urban middle class and the chain reaction of ever increasing options has been a key reason behind this move. So is buying a new vehicle bad? Isn’t it helping the economy? Let’s try an answer a few of these.

Owning a vehicle for most of us is the second biggest investment in a person’s lifetime. Well, at least that was the case when the boom began. Now, it is pretty common for folks to splurge on a new vehicle every few years. This phenomenon, though limited to bigger cities initially, has begun spreading its wings to Tier 2 cities as well.

Thankfully most of these registrations were of two-wheelers which are not just affordable and easy to maintain, but also pollute less than cars. However, there is only so much road available for use. The figures are pretty alarming. In fact, everyone would agree, smaller towns have become a nightmare for pedestrians.

People too cannot be blamed fully. The large population has prevented the possibility of an efficient public transport system in bigger cities. And yes, the very moment one starts to talk about smaller towns, the idea of public transport becomes a very limited entity. Today vehicular pollution is one of the biggest cause of concern in India.

Well, can things be changed soon? Our cities will be in a sorry state if they are not! If this growth surge continues, the total number of vehicles can double over the next decade or so. Can a new scrapping policy help? To some extent yes, but in the longer run, the country badly needs to work on its public transportation system. Citizens too, have to be encouraged to use them as much as possible instead of taking their own vehicle. Of course, it would not be easy and more time consuming than just taking your car to work, but hey, what if everyone thinks like you and clogs the roads?